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Short Communication · Volume 52, Issue 2, 15 February 2020 · Open Access

Length-Weight Relationship Parameters of Tropical Coral Reef Fishes in the South China Sea

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Affiliations & Notes ⌄
  1. 1Key Laboratory of Open-Sea Fishery Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China * Corresponding author: zzchen2000@163.com
  2. 2zkexin0901@126.com
Article Info ⌄
Journal:
Pakistan Journal of Zoology
Published:
15 February 2020
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From the article

  • A total of 152 reef fish specimes of above nine species belonging to nine genera seven families two orders were analyzed (Table I).
  • The relationships between lga and b for dominnat fish in the lagoon of five representative coral reefs in the SCS were summarized.
  • In Zhaoshu Island, Chenhang Island, ZhuBi Reef, Meiji Reef and Yongshu Reef, 139 specimens (9 species), 1069 specimens (10 species), 1357 specimens (17 species), 926 specimens (19 species) and 2273 specimens (25 species) were respectively collected during June 2013 to September 2018 (Table III).
  • This study provides first reports on available parameters of LWRs for nine coral reef fish in the SCS, which will be useful to conserve coral reef fish.

Selected from the article's own text.

Abstract

The present study reports the length-weight relationship parameters of dominant coral reef fish species in the South China Sea. The specimes were collected by hand-line in the lagoons of five representative coral reefs during June 2013 to September 2018. According to FishBase, this study provides first report on LWR of six studied species and practically available parameters on LWR for three species. The estimated b values ranged between 2.218 (Parapercis millepunctata) to 3.308 (Halichoeres hartzfeldii) and the corresponding a values ranged between 3.98×10-6 (H. hartzfeldii) to 6.00×10-4 (P. millepunctata). In five coral reefs, the means of b was significantly smaller than 3. There was significant negative linear correlation between lga and b. 

Materials and methods

Fish specimens were collected by hand-line in the lagoons of five coral reefs (Yongshu Reef, Meiji Reef, Zhubi Reef, Chenhang Island, Zhaoshu Island) in the SCS from June 2013 to September 2018. The specifications of the hand-line were as follows: line diameter 0.33 mm, nylon material, hook size 30×12 mm, working depth 10–40 m. Hand-lining was conducted during 07:00–22:00. After catching specimens, all specimens were identified, counted, and recorded. Each specimen was identified to the lowest practical taxon using morphological characteristics. All specimens were immersed in seawater and frozen to -40°C for shore–based analysis, where body length (BL, mm) and wet body weight (BW, 0.01 g) were taken.

The parameters of the LWR W=aLb were estimated using the transformed logarithmic expression, lg W = lg a + b lg L where, W is the wet body weight (g), L is the body length (mm), a is the intercept and b is the slope . Prior to regression analysis, outliers in the log–log plots were evaluated and removed from the data. Data calculation and statistical analysis were done at a level of significance of 0.05 with Microsoft Excel 2016 (Microsoft, Inc., USA) and SigmaPlot14.0 (Systat Software, Inc., USA).

Results

According to FishBase, our study provides first reports on LWRs for Apogonichthyoides taeniatus, Halichoeres hartzfeldii, Myripristis vittata, Parapercis millepunctata, Pentapodus nagasakiensis and Sargocentron cornutum. In addition, in fishbase the parameters of LWRs for Cephalopholis leopardus, Cheilinus fasciatus and Malacanthus brevirostris are unavailable because there is one specimens and supposed b value (b=3). Therefore, our study also provieds practically available parameters on LWRs for C. leopardus, C. fasciatus and M. brevirostris.

A total of 152 reef fish specimes of above nine species belonging to nine genera seven families two orders were analyzed (Table I). The statistical results of LWRs estimates are given in the Table II. The values of a and b obtained from the relationships was 3.92×10-5 and 2.962 for A. taeniatus, 1.00×10-4 and 2.693 for C. leopardus (mixed), 5.36×10-5 and 2.892 for C. fasciatus, 5.02×10-6 and 3.262 for H. hartzfeldii, 1.79×10-5 and 2.830 for M. brevirostris, 2.00×10-4 and 2.592 for M. vittata, 6.00×10-4 and 2.218 for P. millepunctata, 2.87×10-5 and 2.945 for P. nagasakiensis, 5.89×10-5 and 2.837 for S. cornutum, respectively. In our study, linear equation W=aL+b was also good at fitting the relationship between W and L for P. millepunctata (W=0.549L-39.64, a: 0.529–0.568, b: -42.16 – -37.13, R2: 0.990).

The relationships between lga and b for dominnat fish in the lagoon of five representative coral reefs in the SCS were summarized. In Zhaoshu Island, Chenhang Island, ZhuBi Reef, Meiji Reef and Yongshu Reef, 139 specimens (9 species), 1069 specimens (10 species), 1357 specimens (17 species), 926 specimens (19 species) and 2273 specimens (25 species) were respectively collected during June 2013 to September 2018 (Table III).

Table I.- Specimens information on coral reef fishes, South China Sea.

Species

Order

Family

Sample lagoon

Coordinate

Sample date

A. taeniatus

Perciformes

Apogonidae

Meiji Reef

9°54′N, 115°32′E

28–30/4/2018

C. leopardus

Perciformes

Serranidae

Yongshu Reef

9°37′N, 112°58′E

6–9/9/2018

C. fasciatus

Perciformes

Labridae

Meiji Reef

9°54′N, 115°32′E

6/12/2016

H. hartzfeldii

Perciformes

Labridae

Yongshu Reef

9°37′N, 112°58′E

6–9/9/2018

M. brevirostris

Perciformes

Malacanthidae

Yongshu Reef

9°37′N, 112°58′E

6–9/9/2018

M. vittata

Beryciformes

Holocentridae

Yongshu Reef

9°37′N, 112°58′E

12/4/2016

P. millepunctata

Perciformes

Pinguipedidae

Yongshu Reef

9°37′N, 112°58′E

6–9/9/2018

P. nagasakiensis

Perciformes

Nemipteridae

Chenhang Island

16°27′N, 111°43′E

10–11/5/2018

S. cornutum

Beryciformes

Holocentridae

Zhaoshu Island

16°58′N, 112°16′E

13/5/2018

Remark: C. leopardus specimens consistes of 18 females and 17 males.

Table II.- Estimated parameters of body length–body weight relationship of nine coral reef fishes, South China Sea.

Species

N

BL range /mm

BW range/g

a

95% CL of a

b

95% CL of b

R2

A. taeniatus

17

78–99

15.53–33.13

3.92E-5

7.34E-6–7.10E-5

2.962

2.783–3.142

0.955

C. leopardus/Mixed

35

72–109

12.04–35.64

1.00E-4

5.92E-5–1.41E-4

2.693

2.618–2.769

0.977

C. leopardus/F*

18

72–103

12.04–31.08

4.91E-5

2.17E-5–7.65E-5

2.891

2.768–3.015

0.972

C. leopardus/M**

17

82–109

17.40–35.64

2.00E-4

1.13E-4–2.87E-4

2.594

2.492–2.696

0.978

C. fasciatus

20

124–179

60.00–172.83

5.36E-5

3.78E-5–6.95E-5

2.892

2.834–2.951

0.993

H. hartzfeldii

8

112–163

26.40–82.64

5.02E-6

1.36E-6–8.68E-6

3.262

3.117–3.407

0.993

M. brevirostris

17

157–204

29.88–61.16

1.79E-5

9.39E-6–2.64E-5

2.830

2.739–2.931

0.985

M. vittata

19

95–165

27.43–119.00

2.00E-4

1.09E-4–2.91E-4

2.592

2.504–2.679

0.980

P. millepunctata

10

117–149

24.42–41.92

6.00E-4

4.00E-4–8.00E-4

2.218

2.138–2.298

0.988

P. nagasakiensis

17

127–172

48.25–108.01

2.87E-5

2.49E-5–3.26E-5

2.945

2.918–2.972

0.979

S. cornutum

9

115–152

41.40–92.90

5.89E-5

2.67E-5–9.11E-5

2.837

2.726–2.948

0.991

Remark: Mixed denotes parameters of LWR, regardless of sex. F* and M** respectively denote parameters of LWR from female and male specimens. N denotes specimens size.

Table III.- Dominant reef fish species in five representative coral reefs, South China Sea.

Coral reef

Dominant species

Zhaoshu Island

Cephalopholis urodeta, Gnathodentex aureolineatus, Gymnocranius euanus, Lethrinus rubrioperculatus, Lethrinus semicinctus, Myripristis murdjan, M. vittata, Parupeneus trifasciatus, S. cornutum

Chenhang Island

C. leopardus, Cephalopholis spiloparaea, Cheilinus chlorourus, Epinephelus merra, G. aureolineatus, L. rubrioperculatus, Oxycheilinus celebicus, P. trifasciatus, Pentapodus caninus, P. nagasakiensis

Zhubi Reef

A. taeniatus, C. leopardus, C. urodeta, C. chlorourus, C. fasciatus, E. merra, Epinephelus quoyanus, Epinephelus spilotoceps, G. aureolineatus, Lutjanus gibbus, Lutjanus kasmira, Melichthys vidua, Monotaxis grandoculis, P. trifasciatus, P. caninus, Scolopsis lineata, Scolopsis margaritifer

Meiji Reef

A. taeniatus, C. chlorourus, C. fasciatus, Ctenochaetus striatus, E. merra, Gerres filamentosus, Halichoeres hortulanus, Lethrinus atkinsoni, Lethrinus microdon, Lethrinus obsoletus, L. rubrioperculatus, L. gibbus, L. kasmira, Lutjanus sebae, Lutjanus spilurus, Mulloidichthys vanicolensis, P. caninus, S. cornutum, S. lineata

Yongshu Reef

Aphareus furca, Balistapus undulatus, C. leopardus, Cephalopholis sonnerati, C. spiloparaea, C. urodeta, G. aureolineatus, H. hartzfeldii, L. kasmira, M. brevirostris, M. vidua, M. grandoculis, Myripristis botche, M. murdjan, M. vittata, Odonus niger, Paracaesio sordida, Parapercis hexophtalma, P. millepunctata, P. trifasciatus, Pristipomoides multidens, Sargocentron caudimaculatum, Scarus dimidiatus, Scarus globiceps, Sufflamen chrysopterum

Table IV.- Characteristics of b and lga of dominant reef fish in five representative coral reefs, South China Sea.

Coral reef

Range of sample size

b

lga

Mean

Range

Mean

Range

Zhaoshu Island

8 (M. vittata)–28 (G. aureolineatus)

2.881±0.331

2.142-3.311

−4.338±0.741

−5.319-−2.745

Chenhang Island

8 (C. chlorourus)–380 (P. caninus)

2.950±0.235

2.613-3.478

−4.515±0.514

−5.685-−3.699

Zhubi Reef

9 (C. fasciatus)–502 (P. caninus)

2.933±0.241

2.473-3.479

−4.431±0.492

−5.512-−3.523

Meiji Reef

8 (C. striatus)–283 (E. merra)

2.810±0.286

2.434-3.590

−4.149±0.624

−5.838-−3.301

Yongshu Reef

8 (H. hartzfeldii)–731 (G. aureolineatus)

2.982±0.148

2.656-3.294

−4.523±0.322

−5.239-−4.000

The mean and range of b and lga were shown in the Table IV. For five coral reefs, the means of b was significantly smaller than 3 (T test, P<0.05). There was significant negative linear correlation between lga and b (Fig. 1). In the the Nansha Islands, the slope of the linear expression between lga and b increased with the latitude (Fig. 2). However, in the Zhongxisha Islands, the slope decreased with the latitude. The relationship between the intercept and the latitude was the opposite of that between the slope and the latitude (Fig. 2).

Discussion

The diversity of fishes found on the coral reefs are overwhelming. The conservation of coral reef fishes is a top priority. For nine species in our study, no reliable database on LWR exists in science literature. Although, the sample size of these species was relatively small. Maybe these species are not common species. Fish LWRs are influenced by a series of factors sucn as sex, size range, growth phase, stomach fullness, gonad maturity, habitat, and so on ; . For C. leopardus, the a and b values of LWRs from female specimens were different from that of male. For P. millepunctata, the estimated b value was without the anticipated range 2.5–3.5, which may be related to the narrow size ranges. This study provides first reports on available parameters of LWRs for nine coral reef fish in the SCS, which will be useful to conserve coral reef fish. In this study, the change between lga and b also presents a significant negative linear change relationship. When b decreases, the lga increases according to a certain linear relationship. In addition, from the relationship between the slopes of linear expressions between lga and b and latitude, the (lga)/b ratio may be connected with fish body density and environment .


Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1406502, 2017YFC0506301) and the Financial Fund of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (NFZX2018).

Statement of conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1..

Negative linear relationship between lga and b for main coral reef fish in Zhaoshu Island, Chenhang Island, Yongshu Reef, Meiji Reef and Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea.

Fig. 2.
Fig. 2..

The slope and intercept of linear relationship between lga and b for main coral reef fish versus the latitudes of coral reef in the South China Sea.

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Length-Weight Relationship Parameters of Tropical Coral Reef Fishes in the South China Sea · ResearchersLinks